Twin towers and beautiful people

Woke up to heavy rain this morning - at first I thought it was planes taking off at Heathrow! Fortunately it didn't last long as my brother was picking me up at nine to go on a tour of various  bits of the River Wey. 

We drove down to Farnham, a town not really that far away from where I lived at Hampton before moving to Scotland. I was surprised to find that although it wasn't far beyond Guildford, I seem to have never seen! 

We went up to Farnham Castle, which I had never heard of, and spent a while exploring that - very interesting. We carried on to Alton and then to a lovely lake at Hartley Mauditt which is the source, it seems, of the Wey. We visited St Leonard's church and it's at times like this when I realise just what amazing history there is to be found in this green and pleasant land of ours. 

A nice man, Michael, who was cutting the grass, opened the church for us. It was built around 1100, which I find quite amazing. It has a leper's window to allow those thus afflicted to hear what was going on while being unable to join in the service. The original village of Hartley Mauditt has completely disappeared, having been wiped out during the plague. 

A great day, meeting several lovely friendly and helpful people, and seeing a lot of Surrey's beautiful, historic and peaceful countryside - the most wooded county in the UK, contrary to what many people believe.

My Blip today is of a lovely house, converted from an oasthouse, in the village of Isington, East Hampshire.